APPRECIATING WHISKY

If you’re drinking whisky just for fun, and aren’t interested in learning more about your whisky, then go ahead and drink it however you like. You paid for it and you earned that right. However, if you want to capture as many aromas and flavors as possible, then try to understand that whisky expresses itself best at room temperature. I know you are tempted to just go ahead and drink the whisky, but don’t. Not just yet, anyway.

Look Before you do anything, look at the whisky. You can learn a lot about your whisky by its color. Generally speaking, the darker the whisky, the older it is, because whisky gets its color from being in contact with the oak barrel during aging. The type of barrel also matters. For example, if a Scotch whisky is being aged in a bourbon barrel that has been used several times over, it’s not going to pick up much color from the barrel. However, if that same whisky was put in a cask that contained sherry or port wine, it will pick up some of the colors of the wine, in addition to those of oak barrel. I must also warn you that some whiskys (particularly those that are younger) contain caramel coloring(E150) to make them look “the way we think whisky should look”, because young whiskys haven’t had enough contact time with the oak barrel, and will appear lighter in color.

Smell
Realize that you can smell more from your whisky than you will ever be able to taste. In fact, all the master blenders work primarily by nosing, not by tasting. So do yourself a favor and smell your whisky before you taste it. Don’t thrust your nose into the glass, because the alcohol will be too dominant. Gently raise the whiskey up to your nose until you begin capturing its aroma. Think about what you smell. Often, but not always, a whisky’s aroma will be a good indication of how it will taste.

Taste
Now go ahead and taste the whisky. Make sure you coat your entire tongue and let it linger on the palate for a little while before swallowing. Is it thick on your palate or thin? What flavors do you taste? Does the whisky taste the same way it smells? Do the flavors evolve on the palate or just stay the same? After you swallow, does the flavor fade away quickly or does it linger on the palate? Most importantly, did you like it? For many of you, the alcohol will just be too intense to fully appreciate the whisky. I recommend that you add a little water to your whisky, then nose and taste the whisky again, I suggest that you add a little bit at a time (a few drops) and keep adding until you find your comfort zone. Adding water brings out more of the whisky’s aroma. It also lowers the alcohol level, reducing its numbing effect on the palate.

Reading the Label Reading a whisky’s label can be very daunting. This guide will help you understand what’s inside the bottle, what it means to you, and help you find a whisky you will enjoy. To “e” or not to “e”? Depending on the country of origin, “whiskey” is spelled with or without an “e.” American whiskeys, like bourbon, rye, and Tennessee whiskey, usually spell their whiskey with an “e.” Irish whiskeys also retain the “e.” Scotch and Canadian whiskies are spelled without the “e.”

What is “finishing”? Many whiskys spend most of their lives in one cask, but then are put into a different type of cask for a brief time before bottling. This practice is known as “finishing,” and you will often see this identified on the whisky’s label. Finishing is used to a great extent with Scotch whiskies. Most scotches are initially aged in used bourbon barrels. Finishing them in a wine cask, like sherry or port, or perhaps even a used rum cask, will add new dimensions of flavors. It is also a quick way, from a marketing standpoint, for a distillery to introduce a new whisky to the market.

Is it from a single cask? When a distiller bottles a whiskey, it generally comes from a marriage of casks produced at that distillery. This ensures consistency of flavors. Only a small percentage of whiskys are bottled one cask at a time, and they are usually identified on the label as such. Since each barrel of whisky tastes different (even when from the same distillery), single cask bottlings are the most individualistic.

How old is it? If a whisky has an age statement on the label, then all the whisky in that bottle must be at least that old. For example, if a distillery combines 12, 15, and 18 year old barrels of whiskys, the age statement on the label can’t be more than 12 years old. Remember: whisky only ages in the barrel, not in the bottle.

What’s its strength? All whiskys must contain at least 40% alcohol by volume (ABV), or 80 proof (proof is twice the alcohol level.), though there are whiskies on the market that are over 70% ABV (140 proof)! Usually, after whisky is taken from the barrel, water is added to bring it down to the strength that the producer wants to sell it at. Sometimes a whisky is bottled at the same strength it came out of the barrel. This is often referred to on the label as Barrel Proof or Natural Cask Strength.

Is it chill-filtered? A whisky will get hazy or cloudy if its temperature is lowered (e.g., if ice or cold water is added). Most whisky companies think cloudy whiskey is unappealing and will hurt sales. To prevent this, before the whiske is bottled, they chill it down and filter out the components that make it cloudy. Unfortunately, those components (known as congeners) also contribute to a whisky’s flavor. Some producers bottle the whisky without chill-filtering, and this is usually identified and explained on the label.
I myself prefer my Whisky to be NonChillFiltered......

Most recent purchase:

Port Charlotte An Turas Mor (An Turas Mor, means The Great Journey)

I must say, I was extremely impressed by An Turas Mor. It’s smoky and salty on the nose, with a smooth and non-oily body. While peated, the phenol hit is gentle and well-balanced with a hint of iodine, which offers a suggestion of ocean spray without the over-powering (to some,not me) bite of a Laphroaig. If anything, it’s crisp and tastes fresh, with an almost citrus-like quality. What really sets Port Charlotte apart though, was the extremely long, warm finish, smoky but not cloying. This whisky has been distilled at Bruichladdich distillery by master distiller Jim Mcewan in hommage to the exceptional single malt produced in the village of Port Charlotte, isle of Islay, until 1929

Whisky og Tønsberg

http://www.tunsbergwhiskyfestival.no/ Her var jeg i fjor og skal tilbake i år også!! Spennende med Master class`ene. Lurer på om de har en med Ardbeg i år også ? I såfall skal jeg få med meg den!!

Skrøt på meg for et år siden at jeg skulle komme sterkere tilbake......

......enda bra at jeg ikke sa noe on NÅR jeg skulle komme. som sagt er forrige innlegg over et år siden....

Men nå ligger forholdene i alle fall mye bedre til rette for å gjøre : comeback!

Lenge siden siste innlegg...

Har vært en hektisk tid, med bytte av jobb også - men lover å komme sterkt tilbake!!

HGA

Nytt fra HP

Dear Henrik
I’m not entirely sure but I suspect I sometimes suffer from indecision.

I know I always want a Highland Park but which one? Of course I have my favourites; I’m a big fan of the 1977 Bicentenary Vintage so was delighted when we found some additional bottles in Japan recently. The 21 year old is fantastic too.

The point is, if you ever have the same problem, I am delighted to offer a confusion solution; in the Tasting Collection we have packaged together five miniatures of the most popular expressions of Highland Park.

• 12 year old remains the heart of the Highland Park range.

• Highland Park 15 Year Old has a remarkably complex nose.

• Highland Park 18 Year Old has a prolonged, full, smoky aftertaste. The Best Spirit in the World*.

• Be brave and try Highland Park 25 Year Old neat to enjoy an immense vanilla sensation with the characteristic honey sweetness developing into complex aromas of cinnamon, nuts and dark fruit.

• The prolonged maturation of Highland Park 30 Year Old means it merits time and attention; you’ll discover the characteristic fudge sweetness together with complex aromatic spices and dark chocolate orange.
The Tasting Collection is great for sampling with friends and makes a perfect gift too. So, despite my indecision, I’m going to buy two. Or three.

The Tasting Collection comprises five 5cl miniatures and is priced at £42.50.

If you would like to purchase this you can either visit our secure online shop at www.highlandpark.co.uk or if you are in the UK you can call us on 0845 6501798 (local call rates apply) where we will take your order over the phone.

Gerry
Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year, 2010

Nye HP`s (laaangt utenfor min prisklasse)

Dear Henrik

As you know, I am committed to informing you of the release of new variants of Highland Park. These two whiskies are very special; they were distilled a long time before I was born, a time of Beatlemania, Malcolm X and Mary Poppins for one and student unrest, Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison and Bullitt for the other. Cue drum roll...

The Highland Park Orcadian Vintage Series launches with the release of the 1964 and 1968 Vintages. Inspired by the myths and legends of Orkney, the series is easily recognizable as it is bottled in bespoke black glass, the manufacture of which is an all but defunct art form; its scarcity reflects the rarity of the whisky. Only a couple of vintages a year will be released.

Orkney was under Viking rule until 1468 and this is reflected in the design; the interior hinged door of the oak box of the 1964 Vintage features an intricate illustration of Viking art in marquetry; it depicts a dragon-like beast around whose leg a smaller animal has firmly clamped its jaws. The original representation of the mythical Great Beast appeared on the metal war vane of an 11th century longship. The whisky is a vatting of two casks, yielding 290 bottles at 42.2%; it has a nose of dried strawberries and shellac, a sweet palate with crushed black pepper and vanilla pod and a rich, long, spicy finish. Highland Park Orcadian Series 1964 Vintage is available at £3,750 per bottle.

The 1968 Vintage is a vatting of eight casks, yielding 1550 bottles at 45.6%; the nose is thick with honey and spice, the palate redolent of dried orange peel and ginger with a long, sweet, spicy finish. The interior hinged door on the box of this expression features a mythical Sea Dragon from a wood carving at the church of Urnes in western Norway. The illustration is a combat motif; a dragon-like creature is shown seizing a lesser beast by the neck. Highland Park Orcadian Series 1968 Vintage is available at £2,250 per bottle.

Both of these releases from the Orcadian Vintage Series are available from specialist retailers globally.


For more information about the Best Spirit in the World, or to purchase an Orcadian Series bottling, visit www.highlandpark.co.uk